


Supremacy

by Imagine28



Series: Crusade for the Crown [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Knights - Freeform, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2019-03-06 17:57:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13416561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imagine28/pseuds/Imagine28
Summary: The Crowned Kingdom has gone to war over its capital city, even as it expands under the sovereignty of the Dark King.The two Knights of the Crown remaining, Sir Kenobi and Sir Skywalker, serve as the king's generals along with two Zabrak brothers.Sworn to the Crown and to the Ashla, the two Knights and their squire unknowingly battle the Dark.





	Supremacy

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to write more! I'm excited with this, and I hope to continue with this sudden inspiraton. Again, my problem with hyperlinks, I'm sorry. I think I'll just put in the really long URLs at the end. Hope you enjoy!!!

"I demand all to stand down!" A regal voice cut through the melee of angry insults being yelled across the short strip of land between two opposing armies. Not a soul dared to step foot into it, as if Death itself waited there with outstretched hands and a gruesome grin.

The voice belonged to a fierce woman with soft, platinum blonde curls, who wore bright teals and purples as she stood proudly on the cold frozen ground between the two facing armies. She wore no coat, but refused to shiver at the wintry day with snow clouds and freezing temperatures, even though her standard-bearer behind her trembled, chilled hands holding a large white flag with a Mandalorian white lily emblazoned in silver.

From the black fitted army to her left, an auburn haired man with silver studs adorning his black armor swung down from a terrifying red stallion and walked quickly to her. Quietly, the woman scowled at his gait - the light, confident one of a soldier accustomed to the weight of his armor and sword. Another equally black armored man got down from his own enormous black stallion almost at the same time to follow closely.

"Duchess Kryze," the man who dismounted first spoke now. "It is not safe for you here. Please, do as we agreed years ago." His voice, though quiet, had the same regal accent as hers, as if in another universe, in a different life, they could have ruled together. "Please, Duchess, leave the battlefield."

"It  _would_  be safe, if you did your job, Sir Kenobi, and kept to your kingdom." The Duchess spoke as coldly as the cutting wind of the icy months, and strode further out between the meeting armies of chain mail and weapons. "Please," she rose her voice to be heard among the throng of battle hardened bodies, "Put down your spears, axes, and swords. Why must we fight? Are we not neighbors, kinsmen, friends? Can we not all help each other, instead of waging war? I ask for peace!"

Beside Kenobi, his companion stood with a tense fist resting on the hilt of his long and heavy midnight blue sword. The light scar that ran down beside his right eye crinkled when he frowned at the Ashla that seemed to still the air around them. Kenobi angled his head toward him.

"Anakin?" A silent question in his blue eyes, and Anakin was relieved that even through the few thousands of men and women about to fight today, Kenobi felt the abnormal stillness too.

"Are we not the same at the end of the day?" The Duchess continued speaking to the two armed forces, unaware of the Ashla coiling tightly around them, as a snake does before striking. "There is no reason for us to fight one another! We have enough to worry about with the Jovlins! I  _know_  the Crown seems to harass us! I  _know_  why you don't place trust in the Seats! But that doesn't make the ones before me enemies. Please! Let us dine together tonight as the friends we once were!"

The Duchess was adamant about her beliefs on peacekeeping, an unmovable wall against threats and growing pressure from the Seats of the Crown. She was confident that today peace would prevail, if only the Knights of the Crown supported her.

Suddenly Kenobi had one gloved hand around her arm, the other already brandishing his sword, and he pulled her behind him almost roughly. Kenobi raised his admiral blue sword, Anakin following suit not a second later.

"The Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore is under the Crown's protection!" Kenobi shouted, and the soldiers aligned behind him all banged their shields in synchronized unison down into the frozen ground as one enormous entity, a single yet viciously powerful blade forged with the hottest of embers and honed dangerously sharp.

"If any harm befalls her," the Knight continued as he walked backwards with the sputtering Duchess in tow, "Remember Skywalker and I know the Ashla! We  _will_  find whoever is responsible! And they will receive punishment before the Seats of the Crown and before the sovereign King Sidius of Coruscant!"

Not turning his back on the mostly peasant army before them, Kenobi signalled the two brother commanders of their company to be ready, and the freezing air trembled as the hundreds of beings in his and Skywalker's command shifted in metal armor.

"Unhand me, Kenobi!" But the Ashla felt unbearably cold in Kenobi's mind, in his blood, and he kept a firm hold on the indignant Duchess.

Then from the opposing ranks, the Ashla bled resentment and then confusion as a scuffle broke out. A single arrow was launched into the frigid air, soaring for what seemed to approach eternity before arcing down towards the Duchess.

The Crown's soldiers roared and ran to meet the angry dissidents, for without thinking to, Anakin had given the signal.

A choked, angry cry, however, made the younger General and Knight turn back to his Kenobi, and he saw that the arrow had been true. It would have pierced the Duchess's heart if Kenobi hadn't turned around, pushed her back further, and taken it himself to the left shoulder.

"Obi-Wan!" Anakin felt his heart crawl into his throat and rushed to his side on the ground as the other grunted in his effort to break off the arrow's length.

"I'm fine, Anakin, it was just heavy," Obi-Wan reassured him, though he winced when he finally broke off the shaft that had made it between the slot in his armor. His hand came away stained crimson with blood. "Go, Rex and Cody will need you."

Anakin sought Obi-Wan's eyes to measure the pain from the small missile, but Obi-Wan was already standing up, shouting at the standard-bearer to stay as a decoy, at the Duchess's guards to take her away to safety. He yelled for his horse too, and when Obi-Wan finally turned to him, he widened his eyes.

"Anakin!" The Knight's attention had wavered, and out of the chaotic fighting fray of the front lines, one absurdly large Mandalorian fighter appeared, swinging a battle-axe at his head. Survival instinct and the Ashla made him raise his sword in time to parry off the heavy blow, but he fell to his knees beneath the weight of the next swing, his arms straining as a fierce snarl ripped from his throat.

He didn't even have time to fear for his life before Obi-Wan was there, his sword clanging loudly against the metal of the axe's tip, scowling all the while. Then Anakin stepped in and they crossed their blue swords into an acute 'x' with the next blow. Step by blundering step, their combined attack drove the abnormal giant back.

They groaned and gave an immense shove with straining arms until it was a young squire, a female Togruta, who finally jumped from the side to aid them. She sliced the giant's throat with the shortest of her two blades, surprising the three of them. She flashed them a quick, grim smile before she charged away, giving a short battle cry as she twirled her sword.

It was Obi-Wan who cleared his throat first and chuckled at Anakin. "It would seem young Ahsoka is doing well despite your teaching."

"Hey now, my teaching is great." Anakin smiled good naturedly, watching opposing soldiers break through the front lines and run towards him and Obi-Wan, the giant bleeding out at their feet. Soldiers from their army intercepted them, and he saw Rex and Ahsoka fight together to keep the enemy army back.

Obi-Wan spun his sword before he gripped the hilt with both hands and brought it above his head, wanting to finish off the giant and spare him a slow, choking death.

But the giant grabbed his ankle and Obi-Wan hesitated. The giant's eyes were intense on him, his mouth was moving, and he realized the man was trying to talk. Anakin moved to give the killing blow himself, but Obi-Wan held out his hand to stop him.

"Wait." Obi-Wan kneeled, placing the tip of his sword on the giant's chest as insurance, and leaned close to the dying man's face.

"..will..fall."

"What?" Obi-Wan asked and Anakin watched him closely for any sign of danger from the man, surprised that he could even speak.

"The Crown..will fall." A series of gurgled coughs and terrified chokes but he struggled to finish. "-Ashla.. - seen it.."

Obi-Wan felt the panicked hold on his ankle slacken and he sighed and stood, knowing he was finally dead.

"What did he say?" Anakin shouted over his shoulder as another fighter broke through their defenses and ran to engage him. A good duelist, but with the giant's death was enough. Anakin didn't want anybody else to die today, and their swords screeched angrily where the metal met.

"Later, I've got pressing issues right now!" And soon Obi-Wan was side by side with Anakin, fending off wave after wave of brave, foolish, enemy soldiers.

Ertoo and Tripio appeared and they snarled with bloody teeth, eagerly sinking their fangs into calves and thighs and arms, happy to drag down any body that threatened their masters.

"We have to use the Ashla, Obi-Wan!" Anakin knew they would tire sooner than later and he didn't know where Ahsoka or the two Commanders were anymore.

"Only as a last resort, Anakin, we agreed!" Vaguely, Obi-Wan knew that they were now at the very front of the skirmish, their battalion fighting behind them. He didn't want to spend all his strength wielding the untouchable Ashla, not now, and surely not when the King had explicitly ordered to refrain from using it.

"Shields! Take cover! Incoming arrows!" That was Cody giving an alert, and the soldiers confronting Obi-Wan and Anakin backed off hurriedly as their own ranks released arrows towards them.

"Obi-Wan!" Anakin began gathering the Ashla into him, and Obi-Wan grit his teeth, his brow furrowing in reluctance and disagreement as he began to do the same.

The air shimmered around them, and suddenly the sun broke through white clouds, the first peek of sunlight seemingly too bright as it fell on the two Knights. The dogs growled deeper in their throats and ducked their heads as they were forced away by the strange power emanating from their masters.

Obi-Wan felt Anakin beside him, but suddenly, also quietly, steadily and brightly, in his mind. He felt Anakin's sense of cold and the effort behind his use of the Ashla, he heard and  _felt_  Anakin take in a shuddering breath, which Obi-Wan mirrored, as Anakin felt him, too.

It was beautiful feeling the Ashla as it had been, absolutely everywhere, in the warmth of Anakin's beating heart, in the strength behind Obi-Wan's hold on his sword, in the gray winter grass, in the frozen earth beneath their soft leather boots, in the white of the sky above, in their indigo swords, in the tightening bowstrings and in the living sentients letting loose wickedly sharpened arrows.

As one, Anakin and Obi-Wan took in a deep breath, and using the Ashla, pushed with outstretched hands up, out,  _away._

An invisible and unworldly shove had the opposing army heaved back and most fell over, the released arrows falling harmlessly to the ground. Most importantly, behind the two Generals, the Crown's Army was safe. The battle was over.

But the Knights' task was yet to be accomplished. Even though their armor was the dark of their king today, they had the Ashla at the forefront of their minds, and they radiated light. It seemed as if they held all the light of day within them, emitting a pleasant warmth that thawed the grass at their feet and turned it green.

Before them, the Mandalorian soldiers that still lied sprawled, groaned as they tried to move away. One in particular,  _the_  blond archer who had shot the arrow that had started this battle, managed to get to a knee. Anakin scowled, moving quickly through the dazed Mandalorian ranks, and pulled the man up roughly, ceasing to consider ways to hurt him only when Obi-Wan rested a hand on his shoulder.

"State your name," Anakin snarled. "You traitorous dissident."

"Mandalore won't ever kneel before your standard, outsider," the man said with spite in his cold eyes. "You don't know anything about me!"

"You're right." Obi-Wan angled his head at the man. "But I can almost taste your fear. And your hatred." He looked away from the man nonchalantly, and considered the army around him, how Cody and Rex were pushing the defeated and retreating Mandalorians away. "You're all alone now. Speak, and perhaps some mercy w-"

Another life signature was headed towards them, strong and fierce like the Duchess, but sparking with a collected anger that was different, colder.

"Pre Vizsla!" The angry life signature's commanding voice was heard, and a red haired woman in blue, plated armor stepped beside Obi-Wan. "You bring shame to your house."

"Another Kryze." Vizsla drawled out before shoving out of Anakin's hold and spitting on the ground. "You, woman, do not belong in battle. Like your sister, you're weak, and half-braine-"

But Bo-Katan had her sword in her hand and the tip digging into Vizsla's stubbled chin before he could finish. "I should kill you for the insult to the Duchess and to my family." She glared at him with ice in her eyes, adding pressure to where her blade rested against the man's skin. "But your blood is unworthy of my sword.. I'll let the Duchess's Knights drag you to the dungeon." Crisply, Bo-Katan swung her sword away, leaving a shallow, angry red cut on Vizsla's chin. "Leave him, Kenobi." And she marched off, calling for the Mandalorian knights that had remained to go tie him up.

As her knights complied, Anakin slowly loosened his hold on the Ashla and felt Obi-Wan do the same as his gentle touch in his mind, a soft and warm presence, waned until it disappeared. They took a few seconds to breathe, and felt heavy tiredness creep into their extremities, as surely as the tide when it rose from the sea, even after making sure to let go of the Ashla little by little. Using it always came with a price unfortunately, and Anakin worried their soldiers would find them too lax and tired by nightfall. The King would hear of this, undoubtedly.

Obi-Wan, he knew, thought similarly, and as the other man sheathed his long sword, Anakin took a moment to admire him. His hair was still brushed up, barely in any disarray, and there was a bit of sweat glistening on his brow, but the snow white sky did wonders to his blue eyes. He was frowning, as he often did in and after battles, but once he met Anakin's gaze, he softened and managed a small quirk of his lips.

"Kenobi!" Bo-Katan yelled from where she'd stopped walking to receive a messenger and turned to face them. "The Duchess would see you!"

Obi-Wan raised his arm to show he had heard and huffed once Bo-Katan's form finally entered the city's walls.

"The Duchess won't be happy, Anakin. And I'm not exactly fit for negotiations at the moment."

"We had no choice, Obi-Wan. Even our king will see that. Use the Ashla, or die. Pull her out of here, or die. Besides," Anakin raised his sword to inspect it's clean edge, the blue of his blade unmarred of any blood for once. "At least she's willing to talk to us. She'll listen to us." He sheathed his sword at the belt around his waist. "In the meantime, thanks to  _her_ army, we've got wounded to tend to. Helix and Kix will appreciate help."

"Right." Obi-Wan sighed, glanced up at the cold, pearly sky, and Anakin rested a hand on his shoulder briefly before whistling Ertoo and Tripio over. The men and women liked their dogs, even when lying on the ground moaning softly. Anakin would not deny them the comfort of a furry warmth at their side, licking them in the face.

* * *

The center of the city was still beautiful, Obi-Wan thought through a closed-mouth yawn that made his eyes water. Banners of turquoise, fuschia, teals, magentas, and white with silver hung from windows, and many people bustled about, making it an annoyance to their hot blooded horses to start and stop and go around the crowds. Most of them stopped to stare, and in some cases glare at their somber party as they rode to the Duchess's fortress. Anakin chuckled at the sight they must have made.

Obi-Wan spared him a glance from his seat on Negotiante, looking down at his dark armor and then back at Anakin with mirth in his eyes, subdued from lack of energy. Yeah, dark black in a colorful city, they stood out as outsiders.

Obi-Wan led the way because he knew the city from years ago, from when they'd both been young squires in the service of Knights Jinn and Windu. Back when there had been an entire guard of the Crown's Knights, before the First Jovlin attack.

Obi-Wan turned slightly in his saddle to check on Ahsoka riding her gelding, Resolute, behind Anakin. She was young, barely fourteen years, but behind her, Rex and Cody nodded at him from their own steads, Torrent and Ghost. They'd take care of her, the young squire. They knew he and Anakin were dead on their horses, exhausted. Not for the first time, Obi-Wan appreciated that Negotiante was a good horse, hot blooded, but cooperative and responsive with him.

He also appreciated his Commander's discretion. If Anakin and Obi-Wan dropped to the ground too heavily from their saddles at the Duchess's door, the Commanders didn't comment on it.

"Stay here, please, Cody, Rex." Obi-Wan looked up at the still mounted Commanders, leaning some of his weight on Negotiante, who merely nickered at his master. "The Duchess won't appreciate five armed foreigners in her hall. Perhaps it would be best if you stayed behind as well, Ahsoka. I don't know if the man was one of hers or not."

"Alright," she said calmly, combing Resolute's mane softly, while Cody frowned at his General.

Anakin also threw Obi-Wan a questioning frown, which he pointedly ignored, though he sensed confusion and the start of a protest in disagreement from the younger General. But Obi-Wan knew they didn't need to bring in more soldiers. They would be safe enough, so Obi-Wan pushed a firm determination into the Ashla and Anakin settled for pursing his lips mildly. He gave Twilight's reins to Ahsoka while Obi-Wan murmured softly to Negotiante and once he'd handed Cody his reins, turned towards the stone steps that led to the small castle. Anakin came to stand beside him, apprehensive curiosity coming off of him in a small, steady stream like water from a spring.

The outside of the Kryze fort was formidable, regal, made of opal and stone, made for royalty. Two tall towers overlooked the city like stoic sentinels waiting for their time to serve, ready to withstand any assault or trouble. They walked up stone steps that led to an arch, and as Anakin and Obi-Wan made their way beneath it, it opened to a pentagonal courtyard.

Bo-Katan stood in the center of the courtyard with a platoon of trained knights awaiting them. They wore not the heavy plated armor that usually covered a soldier's chain mail, but dark, smooth leather that made for easy mobility and spoke of well trained soldiers that didn't need much protection. These were not the knights that had met them outside the city walls. These did not stand with nervous expectancy, but with the patience of water before a dam, accumulating overwhelmingly. These would only move when ordered, and when they would, like a dam broken to make a waterfall, they'd be powerful and unstoppable.

Obi-Wan didn't need the Ashla to know that they were standing here because their sole loyalty was to the Duchess; he remembered her personal guard's ferocity. Anakin tensed beside him, itching to reach for the hilt of his sword, and at this sudden anxiety, Obi-Wan let out a swell of deliberate calm in the Ashla, and Anakin let out a slow breath as Obi-Wan brushed his knuckles with the back of his hand.

"Hello there," Obi-Wan said warily but with a pleasant enough voice.

"Welcome," Bo-Katan answered and moved towards them. Anakin shifted his weight back, almost expecting the thirty or more Knight's behind her to follow, but they remained still, observing. "Do not be alarmed, Sir Kenobi. We are all of us tense," and her inquisitive eyes flickered over to Anakin briefly. "They are just here to make sure none of us do things we might come to regret later." She offered them a brief but somehow threatening grin. Again, she only spared Anakin a short glance, though Obi-Wan knew it was enough to assess whether or not he could be deemed a threat. "This way, the Duchess awaits you."

She led the way to the corridor behind the Duchess's knights and as she walked towards them, Obi-Wan felt Anakin's momentary confusion that she would collide with the leather clad knights, until they snapped, splitting down the middle of their ranks and left enough space for her to walk through them.

Obi-Wan moved to follow her, knowledgeable of this formality and felt Anakin make sure to walk a step behind him. This show was meant to intimidate them, and it was certainly making Anakin feel uneasy. Any one of these Mandalorians, if they happened to hold a grudge against Obi-Wan could very well finish him off. Or they would try to, because with Anakin at his side, they would undoubtedly make it out. In the Ashla, they felt closed off to him. They had strong minds and were clear-headed, and fortunately they made their way through the knights without incident.

Inside the corridor, the light from outside waned until the dark hallway relied on fiery torches that beat back the darkness. Anakin moved beside Obi-Wan until their booted steps fell at the same pace.

"Do you think...?" Anakin whispered, He didn't know the Duchess, and in this dank hallway, he wasn't feeling particularly trusting.

"I don't know. It's been a long time." Obi-Wan murmured back, radiating tiredness and a certain bleakness. He was wounded, Anakin remembered suddenly. Though not bleeding profusely, he realized as he craned his neck to check Obi-Wan's arm. Thank the Ashla. As for the tiredness, that could be blamed on extended use of the Ashla, Anakin frowned. The King often warned them of this. Only he had unlimited power.

Finally they entered the throne room, large and cavernous, with painted glass widows behind the steps that raised the throne, where the Duchess sat regally in silhouette. Tinted light fell on the floor in front of her and on Obi-Wan and Anakin, coloring them different hues of lavender, blue and maroon. They stopped to bow while Bo-Katan walked to the side of the throne and stood at Mandalorian attention.

The Duchess extended a delicate hand in their direction and Obi-Wan moved to gently take her hand and kiss it chastely. When he straightened, she gave him a small smile, and Anakin felt bitter melancholy tint the throne in the Ashla. Anakin didn't know whether or not to go to the Duchess as well, but when she clasped her hands in front of her, Obi-Wan retreated and Anakin decided to stay where he was.

"Obi."

In a single syllable, the Duchess uttered familiarity and fondness. Anakin felt a small desire to huff, and a twinge of fierce protection over Obi-Wan.

"It's been too long."

"Indeed it has been, Duchess, and I am sorry that we meet again under these circumstances." Obi-Wan apologized graciously and Anakin couldn't help but want to rush the pleasantries.

Beside the Duchess, if a step behind, Bo-Katan cleared her throat so softly, the Knights of the Crown would not have heard it if not for the Ashla, and the ruling monarch winced.

"Do you know what you've done, claiming that I am under your Kingdom's protection?" The Duchess leaned forward. "You were wise to leave the young Togruta outside. Otherwise I would not speak to you, Kenobi. Know this, also, my people do not want or need your kingdom's protection."

"We are aware of that, my lady." Anakin spoke up, "And we humbly ask you forgive our intrusion on your province. But the thing is, Your Highness, the Crowned Kingdom asks for your help." He finished, politely inclining his head, and felt confident and a bit pleased at his interference. But the Duchess regarded him with a skeptical frown, and raised her chin arrogantly.

"Who is this, Obi-Wan?"

Annoyance and irritation came from Obi-Wan and Anakin saw the minute frown he gave the Duchess at her tone towards Anakin. When Obi-Wan placed a hand on Anakin's chest, the painted light coming in through the window made his hand look bloody.

"Duchess Kryze, this is a distinguished General of the Great Army of the Crown, and my fellow Knight and brother-in-arms, Anakin Skywalker."

There was a measured silence as the Duchess flickered inquisitive eyes from the hand on his chest and back to Obi-Wan's steady gaze and back again to his hand, realization spreading over her visage like water over a bleeding wound.

"I see." She straightened in her seat, watching them with a much more formal air.

Anakin smiled softly with a swell of affection, basking in Obi-Wan's protectiveness. He knew his armor was cold and hard, but he could swear he could feel the warm weight of Obi-Wan's hand on his chest, and even after the other had removed his hand, the echo of his touch lingered.

"Whatever is it, then, that brings you to Mandalore with your entire army?" Duchess Kryze asked with a suddenly hard and suspicious voice.

Anakin scratched his eyebrow, and then cleared his throat when Bo-Katan placed a hand on her sword at his movement. He felt Obi-Wan harden his life signature as he prepared a response. They hadn't brought their entire army. The six thousand sentients waiting outside the city were only a small part of the Crown's army, and they were here because even their entire army was not enough.

"We come to you, Duchess, because the Crowned Kingdom sees itself in a difficult situation. We need soldiers." The Duchess frowned and Obi-Wan hurried to finish with a placating look on his face. "The Seats of the Crown know of the prowess of the Mandalorians of your Province and-"

"Sir Kenobi, I beg your pardon! Mandalore will not join your war against the Jovlins to get back Crowned City. I forbid it. The very last thing we need is for them to converge on us."

"Duchess Kryze," this time Anakin had a concerned frown crinkling his brow. "We need soldiers because we need this war to end, and if your people ever want the Jovlin raids to be over, they need the war to be over as well. Your Highness." He shifted his weight to his back leg when the Duchess stood, looking regally angry.

"It's 'Your Majesty.' "

Anakin frowned. He had only one Majesty, one Lord, and that was King Sidius. No provincial monarch would get that title from him. "Sorry, lady Duchess," he ground out.

But she hadn't finished. She pointed an accusatory finger down at Anakin. "And were you born or bred a Mandalorian, to know what Mandalore needs or doesn't, Skywalker?" A minor disrespect to have excluded his rank, which normally didn't bother Anakin, but this time Anakin opened his mouth to defend himself.

Obi-Wan put a shielding hand on his chest again, and stepped forward in front of him. "He means no disrespect, lady Duchess. We simply understand better than most what difficulties exist sitting on the throne."

She suddenly paled, and looked stricken. "Right," her voice had lost its fire, and she reached a hand behind her, as if to make sure her royal seat were still there, sitting down slowly. "Your service to your dark King." Around her life signature the Ashla was no longer stained with anger, but something else, just as dangerous. Fear.

"Yes. Sir Kenobi and myself serve the King personally... And he made it clear to us that the Seats of the Crown petitioned the Province of Mandalore for soldiers. What say you, Duchess?" Anakin forced politeness into his voice, letting Obi-Wan continue standing in front of him when the Duchess turned bright eyes towards him again.

"Please, Duchess." Obi-Wan added imploringly, hoping the sound of his voice would sway her. But when she again met his gaze, he knew they'd lost.

"You were once an aid to my people, Sir Kenobi. And your fellow Knight, Sir Jinn, is still remembered with honor here. Do not tarnish Qui-Gon Jinn's memory by ruining your friendship with Mandalore, Knight Kenobi." She delivered the words harshly, and Obi-Wan's face fell.

He looked wounded, devastated like Anakin had only seen him after Qui-Gon's death.

"Duchess Kryze," Anakin started, his eyes the ice blue of anger. "Surely-"

"No, Sir Skywalker. You have my answer. Now leave, please, and let us keep the peace between us. My guards will escort you out of the city."

Anakin scowled and shifted his weight, about to step forward and argue she had no right to remind Obi-Wan of his loss. Their loss. She had no  _idea_  what the cost of keeping the peace had been. But Obi-Wan grabbed his elbow.

"Come, Anakin." His voice was quiet and subdued. "We have a long ride ahead of us." He bowed to the Duchess from the waist, and turned to walk away.

Anakin set his jaw and hastily followed suit with a shallow bow of his own. He turned on his heel, letting his anger ebb away into concern for Obi-Wan.

Together, the two made to leave the Duchess's presence and leave her to stare at their retreating backs. She wondered if Skywalker knew of the loyal, devoting obedience he gave only to Obi-Wan, if he noticed how quickly his anger receded to please the other man. And she wondered if he loved Obi-Wan the same as Obi-Wan loved him.

Beside her, Bo-Katan walked down the steps of the throne to send some of her guard to trail the Crown's Knights when suddenly, Kenobi and Skywalker stopped. Abruptly they straightened, their backs snapping upright almost unnaturally. Slowly, they turned around from where they had stopped walking. When Satine saw their eyes, she gasped.

Gone were the pleasant blue orbs of Obi-Wan and his fellow Knight. Now, their eyes had turned a dangerous gold, interlaced with bleeding red.

"Duchess." It was Skywalker's mouth that moved. But his voice was old. Old and scratchy and evil. "Your Province will aid the Kingdom."

The two Knights moved, unsheathing their strange blue swords with frightening synchrony.

"The Kingdom _will_  have this Province."


End file.
